Alright. If I can offer some pointers on “stuff you should bring.” This list will be very simple to help you out, but I know that everyone has their own needs for comfort. Just keep in mind that we're not truly “roughing it.” Your car will be on the other side of the tavern, you're free to leave whenever you want (provided you don't interrupt anyone's play on the way in or out) and McDonald's and a few convenience stores are pretty close by. Either way, you're gonna want these things regardless. Try to use common sense in determining how many of what you'll need for your group. Most of these things you can find in your house, I'd imagine, and anything you can't get can be found cheaply at Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store. These are the basics. You can travel light if you want but you'll probably regret it. I've added my own expert analysis but you can easily ignore them if you want. Camping Equipment - Sleeping Bags Pillows Bug Spray Flash lights or Lanterns - I checked the forecast for evening for every day next weekend, and they're predicting "Dark." Preferably electric lights, for use at your camp after-hours or behind closed doors. Tent - If you plan on sleeping on your own. Like I said, they're cheap, but this would be a one-time deal, since the camp puts their tents back up every year after April. Medical Supplies - A basic first-aid kit should probably be in everybody's camp at all times. I'm accident prone, I bring like four. Wal-Mart sells little mini ones for like 94 cents by the registers where they try to sell you stuff on impulse. Beyond that, I always bring a bottle of asperin or advil or tylenol, because I'm sore by the end of the second night. Obviously bring whatever you need to survive if you have medical conditions. No recreational pharmaceuticals, of course. Bring enough clothing as though you'd be gone for five days, not two. Socks are especially important; this sort of thing actually turns out to be very intense and involves a lot of hiking, walking, and running, through rain, snow, sleet, or hail, and you'll thank every one of your luck stars (and some you don't have) that you have fresh socks to change into every few hours. Concerning outerwear beyond your costuming, if you need clothing (I just wear a bigass robe and street clothes underneath, myself) I would advise you try to bring simple, simple things. Every player must perform two hours of cast duty, which means throwing on a latex mask, becoming an orc or a goblin and running around smashing good guys. Black pants and a black sweatshirt or light long-sleeve shirt if you have them are perfect, but as always, try to work within your means. Costuming and Props - Your Costume - Duh. Glow Sticks - You know, the kind ravers rave with. These are our main IN GAME light source. Mages, clerics, shamans, and bards can make them glow and you'll be happy you have one when you're in the dark. Makeup - Some costumes require very specific costuming, such as looking like a lizardman or a catman. Some people have very elaborate, very nice looking costumes. Bring whatever you need, don't be afraid to ask anybody if you can't create the image you're going for. Also, remember to bring spirit gum and spirit gum remover for elf ear tips, satyr horns, or any other prosthetic thing you plan to glue to your body. Boffer Weapons - The website has a guide to making your weapons to the letter. Take your time with them and test them out before you bring them. Of course, if something goes wrong, the nice people at the camp will do everything they can to help you out. Boffer Weapon Material - Just bring the raw material with you in the case of an emergency (lousy weapon, weapon denied) and make a new one. Also, your weapon might break or tear during game, so you'll want to repair it.Spell Packets - Spell Packets are remarkably easy to make. Directions should be on the website, but basically you take a five-inch swatch of cloth, fill it with a bit of birdseed, and tie close with some string. These little guys represent the spells you'll be casting (if you plan on bringing a spellcaster) so, probably a dozen would be a good start. But, if you're not interested in making them, just wait a few hours and pick up a dozen off the ground. Armour - Leather armour, chainmail, plate mail, whatever you got that you bought at the Ren Faire, wore it around all day, say "What the Hell am I gonna do with this NOW?" and tossed in your closet. Armour gives bonuses to your hit points, and any warrior will tell you that you'll need them! But some people believe that armour makes you feel like a hero and encourages stupid people to run headlong into battle, so perhaps the best armour is no armour at all. Prop Bandages - If you happen to have "bandage" then you need these. Long strips of cloth to tie around bleeding adventurers, ten or twelve would probably be best. Notepad and Pencil - Try to find something that looks simple and old-timey. Journals at Borders do the job well, but my first notebook was bought at the dollar store and we spent fifteen minutes rubbing off the embossed letters on the cover. Again, for spellcasters, you'll need a spellbook, but information is invaluable (I've discovered this myself intimately) so you'll want to keep important notes on things you're learning, storyline you're involved in, whatever. Beyond that, a pencil works, but a pen never needs to be sharpened, and most people are pretty good at not caring that your pens are obviously out of game. Food and Drink - Water - Bring lots and lots of water. Gallons of water are like 45 cents at your local supermarket, and they provide all sorts of uses, from cleaning things off to hydrating you and keeping you "alive" or something stupid like that. I always bring four gallons to ROA and only use one or two, but I imagine I'd rather have too much than not enough. Once again, this stuff is intense, and on a nice April morning with gnolls waking up you and your buddies, you're gonna be running and working all day, and you're gonna need it. Drink mixes work well in this sort of situation, I like Kool-Aid myself, but that's up to your preference. Non-perishable snack type foods - Granola bars, cereal bars, anything you can eat that you like that doesn't look terribly out of game (motorcycle-shaped fruit snacks should probably be avoided). I personally bring a bag or two of dried fruit and beef jerky; they're really tasty, basically good for you, and can remain remarkably in-game. Cooler - For your perishable foods. You might want to put ice in it, available for like 2 bucks a bag at most gas station convenience stores. Perishable foods - This is all up to your discretion of course, I'm just offering examples, but you should probably bring a cooler of real food. Bread and cold cuts and fruit are pretty standard, but if you want ice cream and you think it won't melt, that's up to you. Stuff that's really greasy should probably be avoided, heartburn sucks when running around all day, but that's just me. Hygiene Supples - Towels - Bring these anyway. If it rains, you'll thank me. Shower Slippers - If you plan on taking a shower. They tell me that the shower facilities at this camp are excellent. Cleaning Stuff - Soap, Shampoo, Cloth. You've been washing your filthy body for years, I shouldn't have to go into detail. Toothpaste and Toothbrush - Just because you're playing a barbarian doesn't mean you need to smell like one. Deoderant - See above.Money - The event for walking in the door is $55 a person, $45 if you pre-register two weeks before the event, but obviously it's a bit late for that.. Beyond that, have enough money to buy your food, open a tab for the hot dinner on Saturday, and on Sunday nights after game we go to a diner and party all night and tell our stories and joke. It's a really nice end to the event, but dinner ain't free. Money is very good to have, so bring what you can. Liability Waiver - The form is on the website, but you'll need a form signed that says your parents are okay with you hanging out with fifty-something weirdos for a weekend. It just says that in the event that you happen to kill yourself or hurt yourself real bad, it's not our fault. This is only if you're under 18. Garbage Bags - You filthy animal. Clean up after yourself.
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